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the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, has
revealed the country where the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of
Biafra (IPOB) was registered.
The Presidency has said that it has facts to show that proscribed
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was registered in the State of
California, United States of America. That was just as it added that the
European Union (EU) and the United States of America (US) lacked the
power to decide for Nigeria which group it should label terrorist or
not.
According to New Telegraph, the Special Assistant to President
Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, who stated this,
added that by the virtue of such registration, IPOB under Section 53 of
the Companies and Allied Matters Act, was prohibited from doing
business in Nigeria.
He, however, called on the Attorney General of the Federation to
initiate criminal prosecution under Section 54 of the Companies and
Allied Matters Act against the promoters or members of the proscribed
IPOB for illegally operating in Nigeria for the past two years.
His words: “Facts have emerged that the proscribed IPOB was registered in the State of California, United States of America.
“It goes without saying that by virtue of Section 53 of the
Companies and Allied Matters Act, the group is prohibited from doing
business in Nigeria.
“I, therefore, urge the Honourable Attorney General of the
Federation to initiate criminal prosecution under Section 54 of the
Companies and Allied Matters Act against the promoters or members of the
proscribed IPOB for illegally operating in Nigeria for the past two
years.”
Obla was responding to the submission of a Lagos lawyer, Ebun-Olu
Adegboruwa, on the proscription of IPOB and the statement credited to
the EU and US that they did not see IPOB as a terrorist group.
The presidential aide noted that it was as clear as crystal that
the lawyer never averted his mind to the provisions of the Terrorism
(Prevention) Act, 2011 and that of the European Union.
“I have previously said that the international community should
not meddle in our internal affairs because doing that will amount to
erosion of our sovereignty.
"The EU has no business absolutely and totally with our
internal matters. So, if EU says it does not see IPOB as a terrorist
group, it is of no moment as far as Nigeria is concerned. It is
inconsequential!
“We all know by the definition of a terrorist organisation
within the meaning of the term as defined by the provisions of the
Terrorism (Prevention) Act, IPOB is a terrorist organisation. Also, it
is by its advocacy and mode of operation a terrorist organisation."
"It used to terrorise, harass or intimidate those who do not
subscribe to its separatist ideology and ethnic bigotry before its
proscription. So, it is a terrorist organisation. This is also an
organisation that was hounding and killing Nigerians in Rivers and Abia
states before the military intervention.
"This is a group that was burning police stations, killing
police officers, throwing bombs at military convoys, threatening to make
the country ungovernable, threatening to stop governorship election in
Anambra State.
“Most importantly, a court of competent jurisdiction – Federal
High Court as presided over by the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Abdul
Kafarati, upon an application filed by the Honourable Attorney General
of the Federation hinged on Section 2 (1) (a) & (b) of the Terrorism
(Prevention) Act granted an order proscribing IPOB. So, whether EU or
United States or any foreign country says anything or not about IPOB is
immaterial, irrelevant and of no moment,” he stated.
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